Is a good diet overated?

Honestly I had been worried about diet and stuff before coming to NY and training that much but I have to say I don't care so much about what I eat as I thought and I am doing good. I throw in a banana/apple or two (sometimes more), a ceržal bar ever other day, eat "normal", try to get fast food only once or twice a week, stay away from sodas (replaced them with instant ice tea for most which negates the effect, sort of) and I have to say I am feeling good, never been in better shape and I couldn't feel any other changes (except that my need for sleep has gone up by about 1 hour).
So is diet and all that overrated? Or am I going to feel some "bad effects" later? I mean I'm doing this about 2,5 months now and I thought if there were some side effects they should have kicked in by now, right?
Or would have having a good diet enhanced my performance in some way? And if so, how?

What I'm saying is that you need to look at things structurally. What you eat, what's in what you eat, how much of it you eat, and when you eat it. What you do (physical activity), how much you do, when you do it. How you feel throughout the day. Any health concerns you may have (diabetes, insomnia, anemia, etc).

The turning point for me was when I started feeling how different my mind, stomach, pooper, and muscles each felt after eating certain foods. I've switched from a meat-heavy high-protein diet to a vegetable-heavy, fiber-focused high-protein diet, and I can tell the difference by lack of sluggishness and an improved recovery time, among other things.

Also, getting appendicitis and eating the yogurt and keffir to get my stomach flora back up to speed was eye-opening.

I remember that one, which was exactly the one that made me think, but I don't see any bad effects. I have been injury free and all but I might continue with this life style (of intense training) and so far I am honestly not convinced to the point where I feel the need to change something.
I look at this from a different kind of angle, a lot of people (mainly in the past) have been working hard/trained hard and did not have the quality of nutrition we have today and yet it worked form them. On the other hands, I know that roman gladiators had a diet that was close to what people would suggests today.
I hope you understand what I am trying to say.

I remember that one, which was exactly the one that made me think, but I don't see any bad effects. I have been injury free and all but I might continue with this life style (of intense training) and so far I am honestly not convinced to the point where I feel the need to change something.
I look at this from a different kind of angle, a lot of people (mainly in the past) have been working hard/trained hard and did not have the quality of nutrition we have today and yet it worked form them. On the other hands, I know that roman gladiators had a diet that was close to what people would suggests today.
I hope you understand what I am trying to say.

You're going about your experiment wrong--you're only trying one side (eating poorly). I'm not saying that I was incapable of training, improving, or living without stabbing pains in my gut back when I ate poorly. I'm saying that changing my diet several times allowed me to experiment with how certain diets felt. Concrete example: when I stopped having meatball subs for lunch, suddenly my productivity at my programming job improved tenfold in the afternoon hours.

My point is that denying the connection between diet and digestion, mood, mental acuity, and physical development is just boneheaded. Listen to your body and what it tells you about what you eat. In my experience, it takes a few days for a new diet to "hit" you--but it's noticable.

Okay maybe I worded my question wrong. Lets put it like this, regular diet (eating with common sense but also adding fast food every now and then) vs. a good diet (having a plan, counting carbs, protein etc.).

As for why I don't eat McD every day, three reasons, 1 money(I need a minimum of 4 cheeseburger + FF each meal), 2 access (I hate to get out of the house before eating something), 3 taste.

If you think a good diet is overrated why don't you just eat McDonalds everyday? Skip breakfast and have a hot pocket for lunch. Drink only pop and other sugar water. Then see how it effects you.

This made me nauseous just reading it.

Quick story:
one of the guys at work is 44 drinks tons of coffee and soda, smokes and eats like ****.

He has been having "odd and unusual illnesses" and "can't figure out why he has been feeling crappy and nauseous all the time". Goes to the doctor and then another and another....can't figure it out.

All the while I am telling him: quit fucking smoking, quit eating like **** and quit drinking all the soda and coffee.

He gets several upper and lower GI, numerous blood tests...finally his gall bladder removed....still has the same problems. He starts thinking it's cancer.

This goes one for about 6 months off and on.

Yesterday he tells me:
they figured out what is wrong with me, I had a *something* (I deduced it was probably a parasite but I am not certain as the idiot couldn't remember) that I picked up from improperly treated water and the doctor told me my body wasn't able to fight off the symptoms and pass the parasite because:
all the smoking, shitty diet and coffee and soda